Ch.593We’ve Arrived.

Thanks to the maimed monster’s stubborn endurance, we were able to reach Landenburg territory in just four days.

Even I thought it was a remarkable speed. Nigel had to change horses twice, and Jahan was nearly exhausted.

“This actually worked…”

“I think I’m going to throw up, sister…”

Leonore muttered in disbelief as she brushed back her sweat-soaked hair.

Lena was looking up at the sky with a pale face, apparently motion sick.

Yes, Jahan wasn’t the only one who was tired. Riding a horse at full gallop all day was quite physically demanding.

Although Lena cast healing miracles occasionally, it wasn’t enough to fully resolve our fatigue, so everyone was in terrible shape.

“Haaah… we’ve… we’ve arrived. So quickly…”

Nigel, looking dizzy, pressed her temples and tumbled off her horse as it collapsed, coughing blood.

“Prrrr…”

The horse had endured well until now, but seeing its emaciated condition and blood flowing from every facial orifice, it seemed unlikely to survive much longer.

“Kruk… krurruk… kruruk…”

Even I felt sympathy watching it shed bloody tears while looking at us. If horses could speak, it would probably be cursing us with its dying breath.

“Ki… kirgereeyeb…”

Like this monster in my grasp. I had torn off pieces of its body whenever it struggled, and now only its head and part of its upper body remained.

The fact that it was still alive despite its condition proved the monster’s incredible vitality, but even that was reaching its limit. Looking at its wheezing state, it seemed it would die of weakness even if I released it.

Of course, I had no intention of actually releasing it.

“Hagalaz.”

I quietly uttered the rune of destruction.

“Gieeeeeek-!”

The monster’s body instantly shattered like glass fragments and crumbled to dust.

If it had been in good condition, it might have resisted the mana that invaded and destroyed its body, but in its weakened state, it couldn’t withstand even for a moment.

[Hmm… using dark arts may be unbecoming of a warrior… but truly an attractive power.]

Hersella murmured in admiration. There was undisguised envy in her tone.

Yes, I understand. A left hand that can destroy objects just by touching them—even I think it’s pretty cool, so Hersella, who still retains some of her 15-year-old sensibilities, can’t help but be envious.

Whether due to her values or some other reason, she never used it herself even when she had control of the body.

‘It is quite useful. Maybe I should thank that specter.’

I dusted off the monster’s ashes, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, exhaling smoke.

Even for someone like me, smoking while galloping at full speed was impossible, so unlike usual, I’d only had one or two cigarettes during meals or before bed, leaving me with some accumulated craving.

“Whew… I am a bit tired after all.”

I wiped the sweat dripping down my chin with the back of my hand and massaged my stiff thighs.

Thanks to Durandal’s power, I wasn’t exhausted to the point of collapse, but my muscles, overworked for four days straight, were complaining of considerable fatigue. Enough that I needed a good half-day’s rest.

“From the capital to Landenburg. You ride faster than most fine horses, and all you have to say is ‘a bit tired’…?”

Leonore shook her head with a disgusted expression.

“Miss, be honest. You’re not human, right? You’re actually a werebeast wearing a human disguise or something?”

“How could that be? What werebeast? You’ve clearly seen me groaning in pain while recovering from injuries.”

I tapped my left arm and smirked, as if reminding her of when my arm had been completely severed not long ago.

An injury inflicted by that demon. Without the healing miracle, I would have had to live as a one-eyed, one-armed person. No, not one-armed—I would have been a corpse.

“Enough joking around. Let’s go wash up. We all look like beggars covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. We stink.”

“That’s because of you, miss…”

Bothered by the mention of smell, Leonore and Lena brought their forearms to their faces, sniffed, and grimaced. They must have realized how bad they smelled.

Finding body odor attractive is only possible when the scent is faint; once it starts smelling like rotten vinegar, there’s nothing attractive about it.

Even with my strange constitution that makes my sweat smell like peaches, once mixed with blood and dirt, it became closer to a stench than a fragrance.

“Let’s go to the castle. The Margrave will be at the wall… but as Haschal said, our first priority should be to wash up and get some rest. Everyone is fatigued from the grueling journey.”

Nigel also nodded in agreement about washing up and resting. The bloodshot eyes clearly showed how sleepy she was. If an exercise addict like Nigel was suggesting rest, they must truly be exhausted.

“……”

Jahan said nothing. I looked at him, wondering if he was feeling conflicted about the imminent confrontation with his countrymen, but that was underestimating Jahan’s nerves.

“…mmmm…”

Jahan, with his head bowed and eyes closed, was letting out quiet moans. His even breathing revealed the reason for his silence.

‘…He’s sleeping. On horseback!’

Yes, Jahan had fallen asleep. On horseback, no less!

His waist swayed slightly back and forth to maintain balance, and his left hand still firmly gripped the reins. If not for the occasional sleep-talking, I would have thought he was awake.

It’s quite a skill to not fall off while sleeping like that.

[For a Ka’har, it’s only natural. Though it would be impossible for someone like you who doesn’t know how to cherish and love horses.]

‘Yeah, yeah.’

Well done, horse lovers. Why don’t you just marry horses while you’re at it? It would be impossible in my original world, but in this world, you might even be able to continue the bloodline.

Though even if possible, you’d probably just give birth to something that’s neither human nor horse—a monster.

—-

“Could it be…!”

“It’s Lord Haschal! Lord Haschal has arrived!”

“Lord Nigel is with him too!”

I walked toward the lord’s castle, receiving the welcome and praise of the territory’s residents who recognized me.

“You’re quite popular, miss?”

“I guess so.”

Whether it was because I had defeated Amin’s army or because I had been declared Ludwig Wilhelm von Landenburg’s successor, everyone’s faces were full of goodwill, trust, and admiration.

“Welcome back, Baron Median. The Margrave has been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

Even the knight guarding the castle gate welcomed me with a precise salute.

The fact that he specifically used the expression “welcome back” suggested that he recognized me not just as an imperial noble or reinforcement, but as the rightful successor to Landenburg.

I wonder if this means I’ll have to live in Landenburg territory like Ludwig later on.

Most imperial nobles, including myself, own territories in the provinces but leave their management to family members while living in mansions in the capital…

But houses with important responsibilities like border defense, such as Landenburg or Faelrun, can’t do that.

As Baron Median, I can neglect the Median territory without any problems, but if I succeed Ludwig, I can’t leave Landenburg empty without reason.

The duty of guarding the empire’s border isn’t light enough to entrust to a proxy.

—-

Anyway, the knight at the gate called another knight who appeared to be his subordinate and ordered him to inform the wall of my arrival, then handed us over to the maids and servants inside the lord’s castle.

The servants guided us to different rooms. Leonore and Jahan were sent to guest rooms, while Nigel already had her own room in the castle, so she didn’t need guidance.

The room that Lena and I were shown to was a particularly luxurious bedroom within the castle. It was prepared for the successor, meaning it had belonged to Ludwig’s son.

Of course, I wasn’t bothered by the fact that someone else had used it before. The furniture and decorations that had belonged to the previous successor must have been removed after his death, as all the furniture in the room looked unused and new.

After checking our respective rooms, we put down our luggage and headed to the bathrooms to wash off our sweat-soaked bodies.

“Ahh…”

Soaking in the hot bath, I could feel my tense muscles relaxing and accumulated fatigue melting away.

Not just me, but Leonore and Nigel seemed to feel the same way, with gentle smiles on their half-closed eyes.

Lena, however, only dipped her feet in, saying it was too hot.

Jahan? I’m not sure about him. He probably used the communal bath with the knights, being the only male in our group.

While we enjoyed our bath, the maids took our clothes and armor for washing, then returned them to us when we left the bathroom.

The returned armor was pristine white and fluffy. Only a few dozen minutes had passed, yet somehow they had completely removed all the stains and odors. It was truly impressive.